Silver-headed Antechinus
Antechinus argentus
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Endangered
Listed since: 11/05/2018
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Not Listed
Listed since: 0/01/1900
Population trend: 0
Other names: None
Priority Species? No
The Australian government's Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 selected over 100 priority species derive from consultation with threatened species experts and the wider community. While all species are important, focusing on a limited number of species can help target effort and resources so that outcomes can be achieved, measured and shared.
Description
The silver-headed antechinus is a small carnivorous marsupial. There is limited information on the ecology of the species due to the limited number of individuals that have been captured.
Threats
As the silver-headed antechinus is restricted to high altitude open-forest habitat and has reached its altitudinal limits within its known distribution. The key threatening process is altitudinal shift of suitable habitat as a result of human-induced climate change. Increased frequency and intensity of fire events and predation by introduced predators are suspected to threaten the abundance of silver-headed antechinus.
Quollity Conservation Hub's Vulnerability Score:
46
To help compare the relative vulnerability of different species, we have developed a scoring system based on biological and ecological characteristics that influence a species' ability to survive and recover from environmental change and natural disasters.
The framework is adapted from assessment methods used by conservation experts following the Black Summer bushfires to help identify species most in need of conservation action, research, and recovery funding.
Each species is assessed using a range of factors, including its conservation status, lifespan, reproductive rate, habitat and dietary requirements, ability to disperse or recover after fire, and the number and severity of threats it faces.
In general, the higher a species' score, the greater its overall vulnerability and risk of decline or extinction.
Like all conservation assessments, this scoring system is limited by the information currently available. Many threatened species remain poorly studied and receive limited research funding, meaning some assessments rely on the best available scientific knowledge or information from closely related species. As new research becomes available, scores may be updated to reflect our improved understanding.